Rich's Corner

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

It has been so hot in Connecticut, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you need to drink more to cool off. The heat causes us to sweat more and we lose a lot of water in this heat.

But how much of what you're drinking is actually water? Soda and beer do not count. It's best not to get your calories from your drinks. There is so much empty calories in soda, it can really pack on the pounds. Diet soda isn't much better… some research shows that diet soda drinkers might actually hurt their metabolism and increase risk of obesity and diabetes.

The recommendations from the Mayo Clinic is 3 liters (about 13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women). The advice you always heard, drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day comes out to about 1.9 liters. The Mayo Clinic reminds people that it's at least 8 eight ounce glasses a day. Of course all fluid counts… there's water in vegetables and fruit too, so if you have a healthy diet, I think 8 glasses of water a day is beneficial.

Now to be honest, I don't get all my drinks from pure water. I do have a lot of unsweetened tea as well. But tea has antioxidants, so you will be doing your body good to drink more of it. I like to add stevia to the tea. Stevia (often marketed as Truvia) is a natural sweetener with virtually no calories.

Stay hydrated and remember, you need to drink water every day, not just on hot days. You will be doing your body good and you may also lose weight in the process!

About the author

Richard Hubbard was once over 350 pounds. After a doctor's physical and finding out he was pre-hypertensive, he decided to make changes and avoid medication. Over the course of a year, Rich lost the first 120 pounds of his incredible 150 pound weight loss. He ate healthy foods based on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live". He was mostly plant based, but switched to completely plant based in September of 2016. He also became a vegan in the process as his compassion for animals increased. He credits bodybuilder Robert Cheeke for influencing his decision of going vegan. Rich aspires to be a vegan bodybuilder and is planning his first half marathon this year.

With my particular weight-loss strategy I was told to drink about half of my bodyweight in ounces. So my water consumption will slowly drop as I lose weight... but so far I have to drink 135oz of water... I am really good friends with the bathroom.

With my particular weight-loss strategy I was told to drink about half of my bodyweight in ounces. So my water consumption will slowly drop as I lose weight... but so far I have to drink 135oz of water... I am really good friends with the bathroom. :D

I know it's not always easy to get the recommended amount. You have to take into account the food you eat too, as that has water in it too. I don't think there's an exact amount, these are just guidelines. I think everyone is different... it probably depends on how active someone is, what their eating, etc.

I know it's not always easy to get the recommended amount. You have to take into account the food you eat too, as that has water in it too. I don't think there's an exact amount, these are just guidelines. I think everyone is different... it probably depends on how active someone is, what their eating, etc.